MRI Track I: Acquisition of an UHPLC-TQ and DESI for facilitation of interdisciplinary ecotoxicological and analytical research at Arkansas State University

An award is made to Arkansas State University (A-State) to support advanced research in ecotoxicology and analytical chemistry through the acquisition of a liquid chromatograph-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) and desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging system. Undergraduate and graduate students at A-State across disciplines including biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, engineering, nursing and health sciences, veterinary science, and agriculture will gain hands-on experience in trace environmental sample analysis and mass spectrometry imaging through innovative experiential learning opportunities enabled by this instrumentation. Workshops and a formal certificate program will expand access to the instrument and its resulting research, engaging participants from across the United States. The project aims to strengthen STEM education and educator development in the northeast Arkansas region while also enhancing public science literacy. Outreach efforts will include an Earth Day collaboration with area K-12 schools and A-State undergraduate education majors. In addition, faculty and undergraduate researchers from a partner campus will conduct summer research residencies at A-State, contributing to broader regional science engagement. Overall, this project will promote environmental protection, human health, freshwater conservation, pollinator health and agricultural crop yields, and elevate scientific literacy of the public through outreach activities. Major research initiatives supported by this project include: (1) toxicant mixture effects on fish and a freshwater food chain, (2) the distribution of promising anticancer agents within plants, (3) the efficiency of different water treatment methods to eliminate contaminants from water discharged into the environment from wastewater treatment plants, (4) the effectiveness of remediation mixture efforts to stop harmful algal blooms and their impacts on aquatic wildlife, and (5) the distribution of pesticides within native bee species at various time points after exposure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.